By If a change to the grading policy is truly considered, it should focus on alleviating student pressure.
The traditional grading system at Long Beach State employs letter grades, each assigned a corresponding point value on a scale.
The highest grade is an “A,” valued at 4.0 points, while the lowest passing grade is a “C” worth 2.0 points.
This system is clear and effective, and that does not need modification.
In 2021, the Curriculum and Educational Policies Council decided against implementing a plus-minus grading policy, opting to maintain the existing letter grade model.
That was the last time the council voted, and this decision should not be revisited.
This is not to imply that the plus-minus system is entirely flawed. It is a double-edged sword with the potential to relieve stress while also hindering student success, a concern that many students at Long Beach State hold.
Siena Hatem, a 19-year-old English major at CSULB, argued that changes in the grading system would have negative and unfair consequences for students.
“It should probably stay the same because students deserve to have a solid grade,“ Hatem said. “They shouldn’t worry about a drop in their GPA just because their overall grade is not that high.”
On one hand, a grading system that does not outright fail students can be beneficial, but there are some students who work hard for their grade.
Altering the current system may lead to confusion regarding students’ academic standings.
Eileen Luhr, a history professor at CSULB, suggests that the current grading system is effective as it is, since students understand what they are working for.
“If a student gets a D as an undergraduate they have the option of repeating that class,” Luhr said. “From my standpoint, what’s fair about it is that students know going in what the grading is.”
According to PrepScholar, the current grading system has contributed to CSULB’s average GPA of 3.7, making the university highly competitive in terms of grade point averages.
That does not mean a plus-minus system would alter these projections. In fact, it could improve grades for some students, which may ultimately lead to higher overall averages.
“I’m used to the current grading system, but that’s a good thing too; having a C- instead of a D or an F is good,” said Jazmin Perez, a 19-year-old English major. “I prefer the current system.”
The majority of students at CSULB believe that the grading system effectively meets their needs to pass their courses.
The university’s success rate has remained consistent with this grading model.
The CSULB campus plan document shows that student success rate is climbing.
Graduation rates have steadily increased from 53% to 67% for six-year students and from 69% to 80% for four-year transfer students, with a goal to continue improving by 2025.
This achievement is most definitely attainable, if the current system remains unchanged for the foreseeable future.
“We should keep the grading system how it is now because if we changed it, it would cause students to have stress,” Perez said. “But it would also affect our GPAs, and who would want that?”
